Eleni's Blog
presentation skills training

“Help! I’ve Lost My Voice!”: When a Speaker Gets Laryngitis

Recently, my biggest nightmare as a speaker, coach and trainer came to pass:  I lost my voice. I mean, entirely. I couldn’t even muster up a pathetic, hoarse little whisper. It was utterly terrifying. And, of course, it couldn’t have happened at a worse time: Having just finished giving a Friday workshop out of state, I was poised to deliver four more trainings over three consecutive days, on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.  Trying not to panic, I spent the weekend on total vocal rest, drinking as many fluids as I could manage. This paid off, somewhat: On Monday morning, my

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7 questions to ask conference speaker
presentation skills training

To Be a More Compelling Speaker, Heighten Your Concentration

As a young actor, I spent many happy hours watching plays so I could learn acting techniques from my talented colleagues. One night, I went to see a performance of a big, splashy new musical. The stage was filled with at least a dozen actors singing, dancing and acting up a storm, all working hard to be noticed. But only one of them commanded my full attention: Alittle girl sitting on a set of stairs in the middle of the action, reading a book. She was relaxed and fully present, unafraid to simply be her genuine self in front of an

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presentation skills training

To Speak at Your Peak, Steer Clear of the Comparison Trap!

At six feet tall, with a long, loping stride, I was a very good high-school runner. Which is why I felt pretty darn cocky as I strode up to the starting line on track and field day to compete in a sprinting match with several other girls from my school. I was positioned next to my friend Brenda, who was at least six inches shorter than me.  Brenda was nimble and athletic. We’d played basketball, kickball and other team sports together; but we’d never run side-by-side. And so, when the whistle blew and we exploded onto the track, I was

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presentation skills training

Public Speaking Tip: Don’t Speak to a Demographic, Speak to a Person

In preparation for writing a book about the art and craft of public speaking, I’ve been reading some great books on the subject. It’s always interesting to see where and how I differ or concur with my colleagues when it comes to public speaking best practices. I nodded my head in vehement agreement while reading Chris Anderson’s terrific book TED Talks: The Official TED Guide to Public Speaking, when I came across the following nugget:  Elizabeth Gilbert, the best selling author of Eat, Pray, Love– who is herself a talented speaker—believes that you should plan your talk not for a

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public speaking training

Presentation Tip: To Engage Your Audience, Ask the Right Questions, in the Right Way, for the Right Reasons

  Whether you use them to open your presentation, or drive a point home, questions are a great way to engage your audience.   The right question at the right time can take a presentation to a whole new level of feeling, understanding or insight. Which is why it’s essential to ask the right question, in the right way, for the right reason. There are, essentially, two types of questions 1.Questions to elicit a response. I use this type of question when I want to find out specific information and encourage active audience engagement: “How many of you are over six

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creative chaos
Uncategorized

8 Ways to Court the Muse and Catalyze the Creative Process

I’ve been a creative person since the get-go (frankly, I think we all are—but that’s a topic for another time). I’ve always thrown myself into creating all sorts of projects, mostly of an artistic nature, whether I was building a worm farm out of clay with my brother, George, or creating a miniature circus wagon from scratch to go along with a written paper on the subject my senior year at Brown University. Throughout the years, I’ve created one-woman theatrical shows, written almost two hundred songs, and recorded four complete CDs of my original music. I've drafted three screenplays, an

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Freebo
Uncategorized

Moving Towards Mastery: Freebo’s Story

I’ve recently been on my soap box speaking about the value of striving for what I call Presence and Presentation Mastery. What that means to me is being willing to do whatever it takes to achieve excellence (not perfection—there’s a vast difference between the two) as both a speaker and in your ability to be genuinely and consistently present when others are watching and the stakes are high. Being fully present, and being able to clearly and confidently share your unique message with eyeballs on you, are hallmarks of great leadership—and of great acting and great speaking, for that matter.

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public speaker image
Executive leadership coaching

5 ways to Rock the Podium During Conference Season

5 Ways to Rock the Podium. During Conference Season When Spring comes rolling around, I always expect a rash of calls from folks who are slated to deliver presentations at the regional and national conferences that proliferate at this time of year. Some people come to me with a high degree of preparation. Others, well… let’s just say they do what most people tend to do: Wait until the absolute last minute and throw something together in a panic. As a presence and presentation expert who specializes in helping people create and finesse high-level keynotes or breakouts, I’ve heard all

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Leap At What Scares Your: A New Year’s Tribute to Virginia Giordano

As I move into the New Year, I do so with two conflicting feelings: Anticipation, because a new year always beckons with enticing possibilities; and a heavy heart, because my very dear friend, Virginia Giordano, will not be a part the year unfolding. Virginia died on Saturday, from Pancreatic cancer. Only three weeks passed from the moment she was diagnosed and the time she took her last breath. Three short weeks, and she was gone. Virginia is the second close friend I’ve lost to sudden illness within the past six months. The first was my best friend from 10th grade,

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